Hang your hat, kick off your shoes, and set out the family photos, you have arrived at the Pink and Green House. What is the Pink and Green House you ask: Well it is either the one or two bedroom EXTENDED STAY house nestled in the hills of San Buenaventura.

It is not a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast, it is your temporary home. Our society caters to convenience, fast and efficient. We Americans demand service! For the most part, hotels serve the needs of a one or two night stay either for pleasure or business and the bed and breakfast lend themselves to a romantic weekend getaway. But what if you are relocating to the area, waiting for a mortgage closing and you have to be out of your home before that happens, you are going through a transition in your life and feel uncertain to sign a year's lease somewhere, or, what if you are a professor teaching a summer course away from your permanent home? The scenarios are endless but what options do these people with special situations have? Extended Stays have been around for many years, but they are usually hotels or small apartments that have been converted to long term temporary residency. They can seem very mechanical and feel very temporary. They lack that "homey" feeling and their temporary dwellers are packed in with other "temps" on all sides and sometimes top and bottom. So leads us to the Pink and Green Houses in Ventura, California.

The Halevi Family, Uri, Peggy and children Tasha and Michelle passed by these structures, built in the 1920's on a regular basis. What most passers-by saw were run down, dilapidated eye-sores. However, the Halevis' saw potentially beautiful homes reclaiming their place in the historic hillside of San Buenaventura. Having felt drawn to the properties, and fearing they might be condemned, the family embraced the challenge of transforming these run down structures into places anyone would be proud to call home. These houses were beyond slapping on a coat of paint and replacing carpet, this would be no easy task. Renovation, restoration, and reformation were what would have to take place, and both Uri and Peggy had never taken on such an endeavor. Both had made their careers in the technical, computer field. The work would have to be done by the family, this basically meant learning how to build a house. Installing plumbing, knocking out walls, putting in windows, laying new floors, planting gardens and establishing gates and walkways were among some of the more monumental tasks that lie ahead for the brave foursome. The project became a family affair and with each stroke of paint and each planted flower the passion grew for the houses and what they would eventually mean to this family and to the countless number of people who would occupy them.

After much labor, in 1998, the smaller of the 2 houses was complete and ready for occupancy. When entering the Little Pink and Green House, you are forced to walk through a lovely garden with soil so rich and willing that over growth is the only problem in the harvest process. Herbs such as lavender, sage, peppermint, and fennel grow triumphantly around the garden and add an aroma of tranquillity to the already tranquil surroundings. The roses of various colors look as if they belong in a painting and grow so vast that guests are encouraged to cut the fresh roses and enjoy them inside as well as out. As you stand in the garden and look to the south, you catch your breath and take in the deep blue Pacific Ocean. The palm trees line the coast, as if they were guarding it's entrance, and at that moment you realize why these houses were built in this spot so many years ago. All this beauty and charm and we haven't even entered the house! The outside almost seems like a doll house and you feel like a welcome guest that is lured into the house by all that you have already experienced. You enter through the back door and can almost smell the cookies baking in the oven from the immediate "homey" feeling it renders. Comfortably and tastefully decorated, the house has a personality of it's own. This house is quaint. Cleanliness and wholesomeness seem to exuberate. There is nothing cold or mechanical about this Little Pink and Green House, yet all the amenities are there. It comes equipped with a 27 inch television with a large selection of channels, a radio, CD player, washer, dryer, microwave, dishes, cookware, linens, telephone, answering machine, and extras too numerous to mention. All the charm of a historic house with all the modern conveniences, better known as "the best of both worlds". The floors are beautiful original hard wood, which are easy to keep clean. Attractive throw rugs add warmth and decor to the living and kitchen areas. The bedroom has a comfortable full sized bed with comfortable bedding and plenty of fluffy pillows. And for the inspired writer or artist, a desk with an ocean view occupy the living area. The bathroom is a very adequate size with it's large tiled tub and attractive cabinets and comes complete with large bath towels, soaps, lotions and may more surprises. Back in the living room, you look out the large window and are in awe that the view from the inside of the house is as majestic as from the outside. This Little Pink and Green House is perfect for one person or a couple. For your visiting guests the sofa in the living room makes out into a comfortable bed. The overall feeling is comfort, cleanliness, and relaxed.

If your needs require more space, be it a group or a family with children, the larger of the Pink and Green Houses would probably be preferable. Just a few steps down the hill directly in front of the little house is The Bigger Pink and Green House. This house has just been completed, and accommodated its very first occupants. With the success of the first house, the Halevis' patterned the large house after its predecessor. The charming brick floored patio steals the show on the outside of this house. Roses grow proudly, lining the patio and giving off a heavenly aroma. A darling ice-cream parlor style table and chairs can be found in the corner of the patio, where you are surrounded by flowers of every kind. Relaxing morning, sun drenched afternoons, and white-lit evenings, are to be enjoyed in this little corner of paradise. We will go in the back door from the patio and enter the two bedroom EXTENDED STAY. The first impression is, spacious and bright. Not as quaint as her little sister, this Pink and Green House shouts cheer! The kitchen is large and sports all the modern conveniences. Two eating areas lend themselves to entertaining. The spacious living area looks out through an impressive picture window that overlooks Downtown Ventura. If you prefer an ocean view rather than the street below, sit on the comfortable sofa, relax, count the sailboats, and enjoy the peace. As the brick floored patio stole the show on the outside of this abode, the master bedroom steals the show on the inside. A beautiful eight paned door, originally in the house, dating back to the early 1920's , leads you into a room that makes you feel like you could spend the day sleeping in the cozy quarters. Decorated in pastel yellow, a white four-poster bed with numerous pillows, this room illuminates romance. The enticing room comes equipped with a beautiful antique desk, and the fan above the bed makes you long for a summer night. The bathroom is oversized and accesses to the master bedroom and out into the kitchen area. The spotless full-size tub and shower are inviting. Much attention was given to convenience here, more than adequate space is provided for linens, toiletries, etc. Also off the kitchen area is a spacious laundry room with stackable washer and dryer with all the bells and whistles.

Back into the living room and to the west end of the house, is the second bedroom. Perfect for children with its bunk beds and cheery decor, yet any adult would feel comfortable and accommodated in this well thought out extra room. Complete with desk, ocean view, and attractive pine wood wardrobe, one feels like they sat in first class on a coach ticket. The view, the convenience, the amenities does this house proud and only proves that sticking to a good thing was the way to go with the larger of the Pink and Green Houses.

Wrapping up our inside tour, we exit though the front door and walk down two flights of stairs to a locked gate that adds safety and security. In front of the house is a large brick patio with flourishing orange and yellow flowers spilling over the area. Although the gate looks to a well traveled small town street, the house sits far enough away from the street with a ten foot wall that shelters the house from the noise of the bustling healthy Venturan life. We should also mention that the triple paned windows and extra insulation shield the occupants from ever knowing they are in the heart of town. So ends our tour of the Pink and Green Houses only to lead out to a community with flavor, color, culture and warmth. You've come to experience Ventura and you could ask for no better location. Within walking distance to the beach, pier, shopping, restaurants, cappuccino bars, theaters, museums, the fair grounds and much more. These EXTENDED STAYS not only offer all the conveniences of home, they offer accessibility. A short three blocks from the 101 freeway that takes you south to LA or north to San Francisco connects you with northern and southern California, and all that she has to offer.

The little Pink and Green Houses boast of many fascinating guests, many of who return on a regular basis. From recording artists to high executives, these unique secluded places have provided a place of peace, solace, inspiration, and enjoyment. Whether in transition or just enjoying an extended vacation, the Pink and Green Houses are an enriching experience and meets every need and many desires. For more information visit the web site http://www.halevi.com and please stop by to see some of the photws of the one and two bedroom "Extended Stays".
 

Note:  Carol Collins, one of our fascinating Guest at The Bigger Pink and Green House, is a free-lance writer, who has donated this article to us for publication.  Email us for contact with her.